When it comes to building a healthy body, we have to understand the big picture that is the impact of all of our decisions, dietary and lifestyle, on the physical state of the body, aiming for a combination that supports a body that is capable of carrying out the functions that it is designed to do.
This is in contrast to traditional exercise wisdom based on the over-simplified model that uses exercise solely as a means to burn excess calories. Not to say that we should ditch this model entirely – it certainly has its uses. However, this model skips over many other significant factors related to exercise, and it is to these that we will turn our attention to this week.
As we move through the week we will focus on a handful of important benefits of exercise by establishing different forms of movement in our day. Today, I want to focus your attention on the one that is central to The Reprogrammed Systems Model: The ability to effectively oxidize energy-containing molecules (especially fat) as a fuel source.
Although we tend to view energy balance as the simple model that is energy in and energy out, what we almost always skip over is everything in between – how capable the body is at taking the energy it receives via food, managing that energy while in the body, and lastly, effectively oxidizing that energy to produce the body’s usable form of energy, ATP.
If the body cannot complete this last step – the oxidation of fatty acids – then a number of problems arise:
- Fat cannot be used effectively and will, therefore, build-up inside the body.
- Fat cannot be oxidized completely and thus its by-products (ceramides, diacylglycerol) will build-up inside the cell and go on to cause pathophysiologic conditions like insulin resistance.
- Fat cannot be used as an energy source, leaving the body dependent on a continuous supply of ingested carbohydrate to maintain a high level of functioning.
This is where exercise has the potential to come into play as an effective means of building healthy mitochondria capable of effectively oxidizing fats. If we can strategically implement practices throughout the day that lead to a greater number of healthier mitochondria, we could help our bodies effectively oxidize fats all day long, leading to:
- Less stored fat
- Improved insulin sensitivity
- Decreased inflammation
- More stable energy levels
So, as we move forward this week with our main focus on movement, don’t forget to take a step back and remember the bigger picture: aligning our actions with the goal of building a healthy body capable of effectively managing the supply and demand of energy:
- effectively regulating energy in by eating foods that the body is designed to break down safely.
- effectively regulating energy out with healthy mitochondria that readily oxidize energy delivered to cells.